Mon, Mar 25, 2013, 10:11 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
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Mar 25, Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa now pressuring the Indian government to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in November this year. In a letter written to the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Chief Minister urges India to take a step to change the venue of CHOGM or at least to stay away from the meeting to be held in Colombo to apply pressure on the Sri Lankan government to do justice for Tamils.
The Chief Minister expresses her hope that the Indian government will "decisively step forward as a true champion of human rights and democracy and will launch a strong diplomatic initiative in support of the much discriminated against and long suffering Tamil minority in Sri Lanka."
In her letter to Singh, Jayalalithaa said that any high level participation or engagement from the Indian side in the CHOGM will not only embolden the Sri Lankan regime but also incense public opinion and sentiment in Tamil Nadu on this very sensitive issue even further.
She urged the Indian PM not to attend the CHOGM and the Leaders� Retreat proposed to be held in Colombo on November 15 to 17, 2013.
She said there is still time to consider even an alternative venue to hold the event and India should use the opportunity to ask that the venue for the CHOGM be shifted to another country.
If India takes this diplomatic initiative there is likely to be broad based support amongst member countries of the Commonwealth, she pointed out to the PM.
Meanwhile, the other major Tamil political party, the DMK, led by Jayalalithaa's rival Karunanidhi also demanded India to boycott the CHOGM in its executive committee meeting.
